Health and Physical Education/Fitness at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Starting at under $28,000 per year puts UAH's health and physical education graduates roughly $2,000 behind the median for Alabama programs and nearly $3,000 below the national average. While the debt load is slightly lower than typical, the combination still means new graduates are carrying debt nearly equal to their entire first-year salary—a tight financial spot when you're trying to establish independence.

The small sample size here matters because the numbers could shift significantly with just a few more data points. However, even accounting for that uncertainty, it's hard to ignore that top programs in Alabama like Auburn Montgomery and Troy are placing graduates into positions paying $8,000-$9,000 more annually. That gap compounds quickly over a career, and in a field where salaries often don't grow dramatically, your starting point matters enormously.

If your child is set on this field and UAH for other compelling reasons—location, campus culture, specific faculty—the debt level isn't catastrophic. But financially speaking, you're looking at below-average outcomes in a program where even the top performers face modest earnings. If flexibility exists, exploring the higher-performing Alabama programs would give your child a meaningful head start in managing both debt repayment and building financial stability in a traditionally lower-paying profession.